Will Joe Biden Sign the Social Security Fairness Act? Here's What We Know

President Joe Biden may soon sign into law the Social Security Fairness Act, a bill that would eliminate restrictions on Social Security benefits paid to millions of American workers.

Why It Matters

The bill was sent to Biden's desk on Friday after passing in the Senate earlier this month. The bipartisan bill passed with significant support—76 senators of both parties voted in favor of the legislation, while 20 Republican critics of the bill voted against it.

If the bill becomes law, it would increase Social Security benefit payments to many police officers, firefighters, teachers, government workers and their family members.

What Is the Social Security Fairness Act?

The Social Security Fairness Act would eliminate two provisions that restrict benefits and apply to around 2.8 million Americans: the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset.

The provisions reduce benefits for workers who receive pensions from public sector jobs and spousal or survivor benefits for retired federal, state and local government workers who did not pay into Social Security through payroll taxes.

President Joe Biden is pictured in Washington, D.C., on December 16. Biden is expected to sign the Social Security Fairness Act into law by next week. Kevin Dietsch

Will Joe Biden Sign the Social Security Fairness Act?

While Biden has not publicly commented on the bill, it was widely supported by Democrats and the president is expected to sign it into law before a January 8 deadline.

What To Know

The National Fraternal Order of Police, which also backed the bill, said in a Facebook post on Monday that Biden is "scheduled" to sign the legislation at a ceremony on January 6.

The International Association of Fire Fighters wrote on Tuesday afternoon in a post to X, formerly Twitter, that the White House has "announced" that Biden will sign the bill at 10 a.m. January 6, although no public announcement has been made.

Multiple sitting members of Congress also asserted on social media that the president would sign the bill on January 6.

"Monday, January 6. #SocialSecurityFairnessAct," Congressman Garret Graves wrote in a post to X on Tuesday while sharing an image of a quill to suggest that Biden's signature was forthcoming.

"UPDATE: The Social Security Fairness Act will be signed into law on January 6! WEP & GPO will no longer penalize our firefighters, teachers, police officers, janitors, and other state and local workers," Senator Bill Cassidy wrote on X.

Newsweek reached out for comment to the White House via email on Tuesday.

What People Are Saying

Senator Susan Collins, in a statement: "Our dedicated public servants, such as our teachers who help prepare our children for future success, or our police officers and firefighters who help keep our communities safe, should receive the full Social Security benefits that they have earned."

Senator Richard Blumenthal, during a news conference on Monday: "These dedicated public servants deserve the full benefits of Social Security, without being offset because they receive a pension."

Congressman Bob Good, in a post to X: "The 'SS Fairness Act' is not fair, as it unfairly rewards individuals who did not pay into SS during the yrs in which they were qualifying for a taxpayer-funded govt pension. It will cost $200B over 10 yrs, and accelerate the insolvency of SS for everyone. We don't have the $$!"

What's Changing with Social Security in 2025?

In addition to the potential changes from the Social Security Fairness Act, Social Security recipients should expect a 2.5 percent cost-of-living adjustment to payments in 2025, with a maximum benefit rising to $4,018 per month.

Recipients who collect Social Security retirement payments but have not reached full retirement age can expect an annual earning limitation threshold—the amount that can be earned before benefits are reduced—of $23,400 in the new year.

What Happens Next

Biden is expected to sign the Social Security Fairness Act. But if it is not signed before the deadline, the bill would need to be introduced and passed again by the incoming Congress before likely being sent to the desk of President-elect Donald Trump.